Chapter 44 I've long been used to living alone
Shen Yurou was stunned.
A tremendous sense of panic and anger instantly gripped her.
Peaceful coexistence?
Then what is Shen Yurou? A joke of someone usurping another's place?
However, Shen Yichuan was right next to them, and Madam Shen's attitude was unusually firm at this moment.
Years of pretense and scheming have long been etched into Shen Yurou's very bones.
The next second, her tears flowed out like a flood.
She suddenly threw herself into Madam Shen's arms, tightly hugging Madam Shen's neck, and burst into tears, her voice filled with helplessness:
"Mom, I'm sorry. It's my fault, I was too selfish, I just... I was just too scared... Waaah..."
She buried her face in Madam Shen's neck, her scalding tears burning Madam Shen's skin.
"I'm afraid that if I have a sister, you won't want me anymore. I'm afraid of losing this family, losing the love of my parents and brother. I'm afraid of becoming an unwanted orphan again!"
She cried her heart out, and every word she uttered struck the softest spot in Madam Shen's heart.
"I didn't mean to be disobedient. My heart aches so much because my mom didn't come to pick me up."
"Mom, please don't abandon me, please... I'll be good, I'll... I'll try to get along well with my sister, I'll give everything to my sister, please don't abandon me."
These words, spoken with heartfelt sincerity, vividly portray the fear and humility of a girl who is afraid of losing love and home.
The phrase "I will give everything to my sister" in particular pierced Madam Shen's heart as a mother.
Hearing this from the side, Shen Yichuan felt as if his heart was being torn apart. His disgust and rejection of Shen Yuepo instantly soared to the peak, and he felt that Shen Yurou had suffered a great injustice.
Madam Shen held Shen Yurou, who was crying and trembling, tightly in her arms, her heart breaking.
The distance and indifference of her biological daughter and the humility and fear of her adopted daughter were like two dull knives repeatedly cutting her.
"Silly child, how could your mother abandon you?" Madam Shen sobbed uncontrollably, and could only hug Shen Yurou tightly.
In Madam Shen's arms, Shen Yurou's lips, hidden in the shadows, subtly curved into a resentful smile.
Inside Shen Family Villa, in Shen Yuepo's room.
She was leaning against the window, her fingertips rapidly tapping on her phone screen, replying to Lin Yanxin's barrage of wailing and lamenting WeChat messages.
"Oh, moon, will the pilgrims really come? There isn't even a decent prayer cushion in the temple!"
"Little Moon, I'm not ready to welcome the pilgrims yet!"
"Hey? Moon? Are you there? Answer me! Don't play dead!"
Shen Yuepo typed expressionlessly: "The pilgrims are arriving soon, so take care."
Just as I clicked send, there were two knocks on the door.
"Shen Yuepo? That's me."
Shen Wangchuan's voice outside the door sounded slightly tense, "Dad... is waiting for you in the study. We have something to talk about."
Shen Yuepo put away her phone, her eyes calm.
She opened the door and met Shen Wangchuan's slightly haggard yet complex gaze.
He didn't say much, but silently stepped aside to lead the way.
The two walked one after the other down the heavily carpeted corridor, the atmosphere heavy with tension.
The door to the study was pushed open.
Chairman Shen did not sit behind his large desk as usual.
He sat on a single sofa near the window, a cup of tea that had long since gone cold beside him, the warm yellow light of the floor lamp illuminating his tired profile.
Upon hearing the sound, he immediately raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, but his gaze toward Shen Yuepo was full of gentleness.
"Moon Spirit is here? Quick, sit here."
He quickly stood up, his tone gentle, completely lacking the authority of a business tycoon.
Shen Yuepo sat down as instructed.
Shen Wangchuan stood silently not far behind Chairman Shen's sofa, his gaze shifting between the two men with mixed feelings.
Chairman Shen did not immediately get to the point.
He first looked at Shen Yuepo with concern, his voice slightly hoarse:
"Old Wang told me you went out to set up your stall this morning. Are you tired? Hungry? There's been some bird's nest porridge keeping warm in the kitchen. Would you like some...?"
"Thank you, but no need."
Shen Yuepo interrupted him directly, "Chairman Shen, what brings you here?"
Chairman Shen was stung by the distant form of address, a flash of pain crossing his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and showed no sign of displeasure.
He seemed to have made a great decision before speaking in a consultative tone:
"Moon Spirit, the fifteenth of next month is an auspicious day. Dad thinks we should go back to our hometown in Qingchuan."
"Let's open the ancestral hall and officially write your name into the family genealogy. What do you think?"
He stared intently at Shen Yuepo's expression. "Don't worry, it won't be too ostentatious. As for reporters and such, Dad knows you don't like them, so I won't let them bother you."
It's a ceremony for us, the Shen family, to acknowledge our ancestors and return to the clan. Your father wants to give you the proper status you deserve, to make up for the past eighteen years..."
The air in the study seemed to freeze.
Shen Yuepo's expression remained unchanged; in fact, it could be said that he had expected it.
She looked at Chairman Shen, "Are you really not going to consider my previous suggestion? To sever ties and let each other have some peace."
Upon hearing this, Chairman Shen did not interrupt or reprimand him as forcefully as before.
He remained silent for a few seconds, and when he spoke again, his expression was one of profound and unwavering confusion:
"Moon Spirit, tell your father why you insist on leaving? Is it because your father and mother did something wrong? Did we make you suffer?"
Or are you harboring resentment, resentment that we lost you? What do you want? Tell Daddy anything you want, as long as you're willing to stay... Daddy..."
Chairman Shen,
Shen Yuepo interrupted his choked words, her voice tinged with a barely perceptible sigh, "This has nothing to do with resentment, nor is it a ploy to play hard to get."
She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, then looked up again, her gaze clear and calm.
"I've long been used to living alone. I'm used to no one caring about me, and I'm used to the peace and quiet without any family ties. This peace and quiet is not a lack for me, but a freedom."
She paused, looking at the pain in Chairman Shen's eyes, her tone softening slightly, yet still very frank:
“Back at the Shen family, I can feel your and your wife’s sincerity. I am very grateful for that sincerity.”
Her gaze swept past Shen Wangchuan, whose body was tense behind Chairman Shen, and she continued:
"However, this sincerity needs to be divided in two. One half for me, and the other half for Shen Yurou. This is perfectly reasonable, after all, she has been with you for eighteen years and her affection is deep."
"However, the rest of the Shen family are hostile towards me. The only sister they truly consider to be Shen Yurou is Shen Yurou."
Her gaze finally returned to Chairman Shen's face, which was etched with pain:
"You want me to fit into this family. But this family, besides the genuine affection between you and your wife that needs to be shared—"
The space left for me is filled with alienation and undisguised hostility.
Shen Yuepo's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Chairman Shen and Shen Wangchuan like a hammer blow:
"Chairman Shen, you are a very good father. But I'm sorry, I have no interest in letting your children accept me as an intruder; nor do I have any interest in competing with Miss Shen Yurou for the already limited family affection."
After he finished speaking, the study fell into a deathly silence, with only heavy breathing remaining.
Chairman Shen leaned back on the sofa, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.
He closed his eyes, and glistening tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
This daughter is too intelligent.
She saw through the intentions of everyone in the family.
And he, a father eighteen years too late, had no right to try to keep her, only pain and helpless guilt.
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